Local federations asleep
Despite entry forms being provided to local sport federations to register their athletes for the upcoming African Youth Games, no names have been forthcoming and currently only automatic qualifiers are set to participate.
Preparations for the African Youth Games (AYG) slated for 19 to 28 July in Algiers, Algeria are in full swing but Namibian sports federations are yet to come on board with their complement of athletes to take part in the games.
Seven sports codes will be part of the under-18 games with athletes from Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Congo-Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Morocco, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tunisia Zambia and Zimbabwe, who will be vying to walk away with the top accolades.
The games are important for the athletes as they serve as qualification for the Youth Olympic Games slated for Buenos Aires, Argentina in October.
However, Namibia is slow in preparation for the spectacle, with sports federations failing to make use of the opportunity to submit the names of possible athletes for selection, even though the due date for accreditation is 15 May, and the final entry date for those athletes who have qualified is 10 June.
There will be no late entries accepted, according to the Association of National Olympic Committees for Africa (ANOCA), which stated it will not accept sport entries after this date.
Also, athletes must be ranked within the top five in Africa, and the team sports competitors will be selected by international federations.
Namibia National Olympic Committee (NNOC) president Abner Xoagub could not be reached for comment, but according to a local weekly newspaper he expressed dissatisfaction with the approach of the local sports federations.
He said they provided forms to sport federations to register athletes, but no names have been forthcoming, with only a few months to prepare.
Xoagub also stressed at a welcoming ceremony for 2018 Commonwealth Games athletes recently that many federations complained when announcements were made that the qualification criteria was raised for international competitions.
He said this was done in order to produce quality athletes who will compete and not only participate.
Xoagub said it's important to prepare athletes well mentally, physically and psychologically, by providing them with enough time to prepare and availing the proper resources.
He further stressed the qualification criteria will not change, as Namibia is gearing for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.
At present, athletes aspiring to form part of the Africa Youth Games in Algeria are required to participate in regional, continental and international competitions, sanctioned by the international federations by June 10.
Currently nine athletes on Olympic Solidarity Scholarships have already secured their positions at the Youth Olympic Games, as this forms part of their contractual obligations to Olympic Solidarity.
The athletes are Adrian Grobler (archery), Ivan Geldenhuys Sade de Sousa (athletics), Alexander Miller (cycling), Nadine Fleming (equestrian), Lance Potgieter (gymnastics), Heleni Stergiadis (swimming) Ronan Wantenaar (swimming) and Hafeni Asino (wrestling).
The sport codes involved in the competition are athletics, archery, rowing, rugby sevens, hockey, karate and beach volleyball.
Namibian athletes will form part of 4 000 competitors from across the African continent.
LIMBA MUPETAMI
Seven sports codes will be part of the under-18 games with athletes from Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Congo-Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Morocco, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tunisia Zambia and Zimbabwe, who will be vying to walk away with the top accolades.
The games are important for the athletes as they serve as qualification for the Youth Olympic Games slated for Buenos Aires, Argentina in October.
However, Namibia is slow in preparation for the spectacle, with sports federations failing to make use of the opportunity to submit the names of possible athletes for selection, even though the due date for accreditation is 15 May, and the final entry date for those athletes who have qualified is 10 June.
There will be no late entries accepted, according to the Association of National Olympic Committees for Africa (ANOCA), which stated it will not accept sport entries after this date.
Also, athletes must be ranked within the top five in Africa, and the team sports competitors will be selected by international federations.
Namibia National Olympic Committee (NNOC) president Abner Xoagub could not be reached for comment, but according to a local weekly newspaper he expressed dissatisfaction with the approach of the local sports federations.
He said they provided forms to sport federations to register athletes, but no names have been forthcoming, with only a few months to prepare.
Xoagub also stressed at a welcoming ceremony for 2018 Commonwealth Games athletes recently that many federations complained when announcements were made that the qualification criteria was raised for international competitions.
He said this was done in order to produce quality athletes who will compete and not only participate.
Xoagub said it's important to prepare athletes well mentally, physically and psychologically, by providing them with enough time to prepare and availing the proper resources.
He further stressed the qualification criteria will not change, as Namibia is gearing for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.
At present, athletes aspiring to form part of the Africa Youth Games in Algeria are required to participate in regional, continental and international competitions, sanctioned by the international federations by June 10.
Currently nine athletes on Olympic Solidarity Scholarships have already secured their positions at the Youth Olympic Games, as this forms part of their contractual obligations to Olympic Solidarity.
The athletes are Adrian Grobler (archery), Ivan Geldenhuys Sade de Sousa (athletics), Alexander Miller (cycling), Nadine Fleming (equestrian), Lance Potgieter (gymnastics), Heleni Stergiadis (swimming) Ronan Wantenaar (swimming) and Hafeni Asino (wrestling).
The sport codes involved in the competition are athletics, archery, rowing, rugby sevens, hockey, karate and beach volleyball.
Namibian athletes will form part of 4 000 competitors from across the African continent.
LIMBA MUPETAMI
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